The Hungarian parliament passed a law against hate speech.
According to the new law passed Monday, the use of hate speech is punishable by up to two years in prison.
“Offending someone publicly who belongs to ethnic, religious, or national groups in Hungary is regarded as a punishable act,†said a statement about the new law.
The proposal, which was prepared and pushed through by the ruling Socialst Party, is designed to punish not only hate speech and expressions, but also use of the Nazi salute. The latter element is apparently directed at the newly organized Hungarian racist and fascist group, the Hungarian Guards.
The long-awaited new law, passed without opposition in the Hungarian parliament, has been refused three times by the Hungarian Constitutional Court, which maintains that freedom of speech is more important than stopping hate speech.
Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom also supported the Constitutional Court’s opinion saying there is no need for a new law against hate speech since the old legal code is able to handle hate-related crimes.
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